"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." -Jesus

Another Prayer Answer!

Last night as I was on the phone with my mom I heard another call coming in and looked down to see that it was my sister calling. Nothing could have surprised me more! Here we thought that she was still possibly without a way out trapped in no-mans-land... (I didn't post about the situation, but some of you may have heard through the grapevine of prayer chains.) In the excitement I yelled to mama that I had to go and hung up to call Emily back, but couldn't reach her so I called mama back to quickly tell her that Emily had tried me only to have her shout at me, "Go! Go!" I tried Emily again finally reaching her. It nearly put me in tears (of joy, no doubt!) We talked and talked and talked some more and later at night when I couldn't sleep I rather sheepishly called her up again. (What else are good sisters for?:)) You'll never know how wonderful it is to be able to call someone up to tell them good morning just because you can 'til you can't...
God is so good! Thank you so much to everyone who's heard of the situation at her location and has been praying! [Please keep praying though for the situation and others who are still there though.]
I'll get to see Emily this evening here in Chiang Mai and, not only that, but today is her birthday which makes it a doubly special occasion! It will be wonderful to have most of our family together again! God is good!


Happy Birthday, Emily! You're courage and adventurous spirit as well as willingness to serve are inspiring... You are a blessing! You are so loved!

For That One...

"One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean.
Approaching the boy, he asked, 'What are you doing?'
The youth replied, 'Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.'
'Son,' the man said, 'don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t make a difference, it's impossible!' After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf.
Then, smiling at the man, he said… 'I made a difference for that one.'”
-Unknown

Gaw-guy, kaw-ky, kaw-kwud, kaw-kwy, kaw-khoon, kaw-ruh-khun, ngaw-goo, jaw-jun, chaw-ching, chaw-chang, saw-sow, chaw-guh-chuu, yaw-poo-ying, daw-chuh-duh,...
If you were here to listen this is what you would hear me muttering to myself at various odd moments throughout my day. All 44 of them - otherwise known as the Thai alphabet. (I was tempted to complain 'til I was informed that to learn Mandarine Chinese you must memorize some 1000 characters. I decided we don't have it so bad.)
Yes, you guessed right. I am currently a student of the beautiful Thai language.
Although I have lived in Thailand for the most part that I've been over here, I've worked with the Karen people and they're the ones I've been surrounded by and so the Karen language is the only one I've endeavored to learn and put my heart into. Up to this point my complete Thai vocabulary had consisted of about 6 words. I could say hello, thank-you, ask you where you were going, tell you that I didn't want it, say the word rice, and, last but not least, the all important vegetarian. At times when I was away from the border in a larger town where Karen isn't spoken I'd bemoan my linguistically challenged state, but I was never ambitious enough to pursue it. But especially here lately as I've traveled and spent time in hospitals, ect, I've seen the struggle between the languages and it's been more and more on my heart as to how much more useful I could be if I could speak both.
So when I came up here to Chiang Mai for the training and learned that my friends the Haberkams together with Thara BledtJaw (who lives with them) were going to begin Thai lessons I was enthused with the idea and when their teacher, Kru Malee, asked if I wanted to join them my enthusiasm knew no bounds. And so I find myself up to my ears in new words, pronounciation, and all teh other paraphanelia of knowledge that comes with language learning.
All I can think of seems to be languages (hence the blog post.) It's all I can seem to speak of. The poor girls in the dorm where I stay! Everytime they turn around I'm wanting to know what something is in either Karen or Thai. Their patience would rival that of a saint. Anybody who speaks a second language I hold in awed revere and I will plague with questions as to how long they've spoken it, what language they think in, ect.
This last week's been crazy busy with continued classes, mega tests, and now Thai classes as well. All together we have about 8 1/2 hours of classes each day and that doesn't include exercise, study, or work.
Mealtime often finds me with my open book beside me trying to memorize yet another charcter or sound from the alphabet. (Did I mention that that nearly each symbol looks like a child got a hold of a pen and scribbled things that do have a faint resemblence to lines and donut holes and curly cues?) I'm committed to fluency and am praying for the gift of tongues. And so I remain...
Gaw-gy, kaw-ky, kaw-kwud, kaw-kwy,.........

Why Am I Here?

That's the question that's been on my mind the last few days. Why am I here? As in Asia - Thailand.

I look around me and see people - natives - that are so much better qualified to do the work I've been attempting...
They can speak... they're natural teachers... they understand their people... they're not shy... many know their Bibles better than I know mine... they're not grossly over-sized or disporportionate in comparison and they don't stand out like a lightbulb in the midst of the night... they know how to work better... many are a better representation of health and strength... they're more nimble and have better endurance... many have had the priviledge of a better educational background... And I could go on and on...
Most, with just minimal training, could do the work I attempt much more effectively.
Most of the time anything I do feels like a needle lost in a haystack...
So why am I here? Why has God put me here at this moment in time?

Maybe God placed me here more for my own sake then theirs......?

The picture that comes to mind is that of a butterfly. I feel like a caterpillar going through its metamorphosis. It's struggling to come out of its cocoon, fighting and yearning to be at peace and rest, gracefully soaring with the others. Every movement and bit of progress is a struggle. It feels like it can't do this...and yet by instinct it knows that in order to survive it must go on.
In so many ways that's us. Struggling to get past language, cultural, and spiritual barriers... Our hope being to one day be able to walk, and talk and share the gospel with these people - there's so many who haven't heard.

MeMeWah Update:

It's past time for an update on MeMeWah.

We're excited to have her at home again!!! She's been back for a week, I believe, as of today. The doctor thought she might not speak, due to brain damage, and we thought that maybe she wouldn't be able to walk either... But she is!
She's still weak and congested, but definitely on her way to a full recovery.
Thank you SO much for the prayers everyone!

Faith

"Dunn and his family were spending a few days holiday in Colorado in March. Snow and ice everywhere. Near where they stayed were some little trout lakes, covered in ice. One day Pastor Dunn's friend suggested he walk across one of the little lakes. Here's the story, as told by Dunn in his book:

'I've lived in the South and South-West all my life, and the lakes there don't freeze solidly enough (if they freeze at all) to support the weight of a child, much less that of an adult. I promptly relayed these critical facts to my friend and respectfully declined his gracious offer.
Laughing, he said, 'Come on, Pastor, it's safe - and it may be your only chance to walk on the water.'
I still wasn't crazy about the idea, but after more coaxing, I ventured out. Perhaps ventured 'out' is stretching it. I inched my way out not more than a couple of yards from the shore because, unlike Peter, I doubted Jesus would reach out and save me if I began to sink. I kept a nervous eye on the shore and one on the ice, watching for cracks. And I tiptoed, because you weigh less when you tiptoe. You didn't know that?
Anyway, after a brief and nervous walk on the water, I scrambled back to the soild safety of the shore. I had little faith in the ice.
Later, as we drove back to our lodge, we passed another of the trout lakes and as I looked out of the car window I saw a man sitting in the middle of the frozen lake. He was sitting on a wooden crate, hunched over a hole in the ice, fishing! I did a double take at that, feeling foolish as I recalled my timid excursion on the ice.
Now to the point: the man sitting in the middle of the frozen lake had great faith in the ice - right? I had almost no faith at all in the ice. Now which one of us was the safest? He with his great faith, or me with my little faith? Surely the man with the great faith was more secure? The fact is, the man with the great faith was no safer than I was with my little faith. Though my faith was practically non-existent, I was just as safe as the fisherman who possessed great faith.
Why? It wasn't our faith that held us up. It was the ice.
What, then, is the advantage of having great faith?
I'm glad you asked. Picture me on the ice: timid, nervous, afraid to venture out, constantly looking for cracks in the ice, fearing that at any moment the ice is going to betray me... know any Christians like that? Timid, nervous, afraid to venture out on the Word of God, their eyes constantly searching for cracks in His promises, fearing that God may at any moment abandon them. There is no joy or excitement in their walk. That is the life of little faith.
Picture the fisherman: unafraid to step out on the ice, boldly venturing to the very middle, enjoying himself, resting his entire weight on the ice. You have seen a few Christians like that: they boldly step out on the promises of God, unafraid in the middle of His will, filled with joy and satisfaction, resting on the Word of God who cannot lie. That's the life of great faith.
As we drove past the fisherman, I said, 'I wonder where he got the nerve to do that.'
My friend answered immediately, 'Oh, he lives around here. He knows the ice.'
HE KNOWS THE ICE. And that is the difference between faith and no faith, weak faith and strong faith. The Psalmist said, 'And those who know Thy name will put their trust in Thee' (Ps. 9v10)
The secret of faith is knowing God; and the greater our knowledge of Him and His Word, the greater will be our faith.'"

I'm not sure who wrote this or what book it came from, but I like the illustration.

MeMeWah got her ET tube out yesterday! She's on the mend! But she's not speaking yet and her lungs are so full that she's having difficulty breathing so please continue to pray...


Here's MeMeWah, healthy. She's the one in the red shirt. The others are all "our" kids too - 4 out of the 5.

PTL!!!

Last night MeMeWa regained consciousness and was oriented enough to nod a few times in response to what was said to her and to grab my mother's hand. This morning she waved at some of our family! This has got to be a miracle!!! The doctor didn't think she would make it. (I did later learn that, although she was in critical condition, she wasn't on complete lifesupport.) They have moved her out of the ICU. The current diagnoses is scrub typhus with brain inflammation. Thanks so much for the prayers, but PLEASE DON'T STOP, she's not out of the woods yet! Even so, God answers prayer! My heart is full...

Urgent Prayer Request!

MeMeWa - one of the children who's been living with us - was found unresponsive yesterday with a high temperature from PF malaria. They brought her into the hospital and she regained consciousness, but this morning she was worse again - in and out of consciousness - and they were concerned for brain damage and took her by ambulance to the larger Maesot hospital. She's now on lifesupport.
PLEASE PRAY! She's a precious seven-year-old child...